Comfort Zone
by Brieann1
Summary: Tino Väinämöinen is a sniper with one job. Kill his targets. But what happens when he missed the shot and is forced outside of his comfort zone? Story is better than description, I promise. Rated T just incase. SuFin and a few others. Cover art is not mine.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: First fanfic! Yay! I'd love any feedback and constructive criticism. I hope you like it!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any characters from Hetalia_**

* * *

 _Oh god, he's catching up! What should I do, what should I do?!_

Tino frantically raced around corners, bumping into confused people as he tried to lose his pursuer. He silently cursed himself over and over for missing the target. What was wrong with him? He had perfect aim! He never failed his missions.

He glanced behind him and turned around a corner. He spotted a small alley and ducked into it. He shoved himself between a wall and a dumpster, praying that he and his backpack were small enough to fit in the cramped space and evade capture. He held his breath as he heard one set of footsteps come much too close to his hiding place. He must've hidden himself better than he thought, because after a minute or two of looking, the tall man looking for him turned and left.

Tino waited a few more minutes just to make sure that he was safe and breathed a sigh of relief as he slid out of his hiding place. He cautiously peered around the corner of the alley before stepping back onto the streets and heading 'home'.

On his walk back, he tried to come up with a good excuse about why he had failed his mission. He'd have to tell the rest of his team somehow. Then he'd have to go out and clean up his mess tomorrow, as long as they permitted him to. He grew increasingly worried with every step he took, and when he finally reached the entrance to his home, he didn't know if he could face anyone. He braced himself and opened the door.

"Uh, hi guys… how's everyone doing?" he said nervously. He was sure that everyone present could hear the shakiness in his voice.

"Hey Tino, are you alright?" one of his teammates, Matthew, asked with a concerned glance. Dammit, why did he have to be right?

"Um… well… ImsososorryIfailedmymission!" he blurted all at once. His face burned with shame, and he looked at the ground, avoiding his team's faces.

"Dude, Tino, it's alright, it's okay if you didn't kill him, don't be so upset" Matthew's brother, Alfred said with surprising tenderness in his voice. Tino looked at him and was surprised to see that he was serious.

"Really, you're not mad at me? You're gonna let me keep working?" Tino replied, shocked. Alfred looked at him, surprised.

"Dude, you really think we'd kick you off the team because of one mistake? Seriously, c'mon, everyone makes mistakes! Even Elizabeta!" He said, gesturing to one of the best people on their team.

"Pfft, no I do not," she replied before going back to cleaning one of her rifles.

"Oh really? I seem to recall a mission when you-" Alfred started in a teasing tone. Elizabeta's head whipped up and she glared at her teammate

"Okay that was ONE TIME! thought we agreed never to speak about it EVER AGAIN!" she shouted. Matthew looked back to Tino and rolled his eyes as the other two got into an argument, something that wasn't too uncommon for either one of them.

"See, Tino, it's alright. I've failed once or twice, and Alfred has too. I'm not sure about Kiku, but considering how long he's been in the business, I'm sure he has as well. We'll figure it all out. We might have to take him out a different way, bit it'll all work out." Matthew assured Tino.

"Thanks, Matthew." Tina replied with a small smile. He looked around, just realizing for the first time that the final member of their team was missing. "Hey, where _is_ Kiku?" He inquired.

"Oh, he went out on his own mission a little bit ago. He should be back any minute now." As if on cue, the small japanese man walked in the door.

"Oh, hello Tino, I did not know you were back. How was your mission?" He asked

"Um… It didn't go very well," Tino replied, looking at the floor once again.

"I am sorry to hear that. Are you going after him again tomorrow?" His deep brown eyes nor his face showed any emotion at all upon hearing the news about the mission. Tino nodded in reply and retreated to his room, away from the still bickering pair in the the living room.

Once in his room, Tino slid his backpack off of his shoulders and opened the cabinet in the corner of his room. He unloaded his bag and put each of his various weapons, including his favorite sniper rifle in their specific places. He liked to keep his collection organized, incase he needed something specific quickly. He closed the door and sighed heavily as he flopped down onto his bed and opened up his laptop. His mission file was still on the screen from the last time he still used it. He looked it over again.

TARGET: BERWALD OXENSTIERNA; PLACE OF BIRTH: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN; HEIGHT: 6FT; EYES: BLUE; HAIR: BLOND; FAMILY RELATIONS: UNKNOWN

Tino sighed and looked at the profile picture along with the brief description. He looked very stern and fierce. The look in his eyes made Tino uncomfortable even though it was only a picture. Tino would be happy when he completed his mission and didn't have to look at it ever again. He closed the computer and looked at his watch, surprised to find that it was close to 10:00. A sudden wave of exhaustion came over him as the day's events caught up with him and he decided to get some much needed rest.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclamer: I do not, in any shape or form, own Hetalia or any of its characters.**_

* * *

Tino stood up, surrounded by darkness. He did not know where he was or how he even got there and was starting to panic.

"Hello? Anyone there? Anyone? Please, if anyone is there say something! Where am I? Someone please help me!"

 _"_ _ **Tino**_ _"_ a rough, deep voice interrupted Tino's pleas and sent chills down his spine.

 _Okay, well maybe I didn't want just ANYONE to answer._ He thought. He didn't want to respond, but he forced noise out of his throat anyways.

"Who are you?" The second the words were out of his mouth, Tino mentally scolded himself. Out of everything he could have said, he just HAD to make himself look like a scared little kid. He was a sniper after all! He KILLED people for a living. He shouldn't be scared. He wasn't scared-

 _"_ _ **Do you really not know who I am**_ _?"_ Tino jumped when the crude voice spoke again, not even caring anymore how he looked. He was surrounded by darkness, after all.

"No...?" Tino replied hesitantly. A short, harsh laugh was his only reply before a while light cut through the darkness, temporarily blinding him. When he could see again, the face that met his rendered him speechless. It was _him._ The missed target. Berwald.

 _"_ _ **Now do you know who I am**_ _?"_ His voice was harsh and unnatural, just what Tino would have expected from someone who looked so scary. Tino almost couldn't reply but managed to do so after what felt like an eternity.

"Where am I? And what do you want?" Tino's voice sounded almost frantic now. He was terrified, even though he hated to admit it. Goddammit, he shouldn't be scared, not by something like this. He started shaking when Berwald took one step towards him, and then another. Tino's brain was screaming for his legs to move, to get him away from this man, yet they would not move. He was paralysed, watching helplessly as Berwald closed the space between him. His footsteps echoed eerily in the strange place.

 _Step._ He was five feet away. Tino tried to scream for someone, _anyone_ , to come help him, but it was as if someone had turned his vocal chords off.

 _Step._ Four feet. Berwald could almost touch him now.

 _Step._ His terrorizer smiled, something that did not look good on his naturally stern face. He reached out to touch Tino's face and-

"TINO!"

Tino shot straight up in his bed, grateful that he could move again. A pair of worried violet eyes gazed upon him.

"Tino! Are you alright? You were making such awful noises, it almost sounded like you were dying!" the Canadian said.

"No, Matthew, I'm fine," _lies_ "I just had a really bad dream, I'll get over it."

"Was it…" Matthew began to question.

"No," Tino replied too quickly, looking at the wall.

"Are you sure you're alright? If you need me to do anything, I'd be happy-"

"Matthew, I'm perfectly fine. I'm not afraid of a silly little dream," _more lies_ "I'll just… I'll get over it, alright?"

"If you say so. Just remember, I'm here for you if you need me," Matthew said as he got up to exit the room.

"Thanks," Tino replied with a small smile. His teammate had done little to ease his fears, but Tino couldn't let Matthew worry about him. _Especially_ when he still had to finish a mission.

Oh god. The mission.

He still had to finish the mission. The very thought of having to see _him_ again made his blood run cold. But he knew he had to do it, it was his job. He'd be glad when it was over. Tino glanced at the clock and saw that it was 6:24. Well, he wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon, so he might as well get ready for the day.

Later that morning, after a delicious pancake breakfast made by Matthew, the team of five sat down to discuss what they were going to do about the mission.

"Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, why can't we just go out and shoot at him again?" Alfred complained.

"It _is_ a big deal, Al. This guy saw Tino's face. How he managed to not get shot is beyond me. Seriously, Tino has the best aim out of all of us. But that's beside the point. This guy is bad news. He works with the Swedish government and 'takes care' of any problems that they have. They're probably pissed that we shot their Prime Minister." Elizabeta speculated.

"Well then he shouldn't have been a shitty leader! And it was his fault that he decided to take a vacation in Baltimore of all places. If he hadn't come to our city, right where we could get him, I don't think the boss would've given him a second thought."

"Still-"

"You guys, can we please get back to the issue at hand?" Matthew interrupted, gesturing to Tino. The arguing pair fell silent but continued to glare at each other.

"Well, we can't just have Tino try to shoot him again. He'll be expecting that and probably would've taken precautions so an opportunity to shoot him will never come. Besides, I'm sure he's going to have people with him wherever he goes now. People who'll gladly take a bullet for him. They'll be on high alert now that they know we're out to kill him. So what are we going to do?" Matthew asked.

"Can't you guys just come with me? Make it a group mission?" Tino hesitantly suggested.

"Tino, we'd love to go on a mission with you, but this is your mission, given to you by the boss directly. We can't help with anything else besides planning. You know how the system works," Elizabeta said gently.

"Oh, right, sorry," Tino said dejectedly.

"C'mon, dude! Don't be so sad! We're gonna get him, no matter what!" Alfred said optimistically. Tino smiled at his friend's cheerfulness, feeling slightly better about his situation.

"As long as we plan this right and Tino is willing to do whatever it takes, we'll be fine," Kiku spoke up, "I'm sure that we'll figure out how to handle this. We are professionals, after all."

"Ooooooh, I have an idea!" Alfred suddenly exclaimed, thrusting his hand into the air.

"If you have an idea, just say it you idiot," Elizabeta said irritability, "you don't need to put your stupid hand up."

"Whatever," snapped Alfred, "I have an idea. We could have my buddy Arthur use his weird magic stuff to disguise him and then Tino can get close to the target. Once he's in close, BAM! Target's dead!"

"Um…" Tino started, his dream still tormenting his mind. The last thing he wanted to do was get close to Berwald. But of course, his quiet protest wasn't heard by anyone else.

"That could actually work. Not the magic part, but we _could_ disguise him and get close to the target," Kiku remarked.

"Congratulations, Al, you've managed to think for once in your life," muttered Elizabeta.

"You know what, you little b-"

"ALFRED! LIZ! That is enough," Matthew hissed, "we are here to come up with a plan, NOT to listen to you two bicker all day." Everyone fell silent, taken aback at the usually soft-spoken Canadian's outburst.

"He is right. We must figure out the plan. Tino, are you alright with the disguise plan?" Kiku asked, glancing at the silent Fin.

"Well… I think…" Tino stammered.

"C'mon dude, are you going to do it or not?" Alfred huffed impatiently.

"Um… I guess… if it's the best way…" Tino replied reluctantly. On the outside he was calm, but in his mind he was panicking. _There can't be anything worse than this plan… but I guess it's the best option, isn't it? Oh, I really don't want to do this._

"Of course it's the best way! The hero came up with it!" declared Alfred, grinning.

"Alright then, I guess it's settled," Kiku concluded, "how should we execute it?"

As everyone began talking at once, Tino sighed and cradled his head in his hands, fighting off the incoming panic.

 _What am I going to do?_

* * *

A/N: Yay chapter two! I normally won't update this fast but I was so excited about this that i just had to keep writing! Do you think this chapter was too fast? Also, there was a lot of dialogue, so if you think there should be less, feel free to review and tell me. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. I hope to get chapter three out as soon as I can, but I think it will take a bit longer than this one did. Anyways, I'm just rambling now. Thanks for reading! Ciao!

3/7/15- I re-uplosded this chapter with some minor changes, just grammar and little things that I missed when I was editing. I really don't like bad grammar, especially if it's in my own writing. Also, thank you to everyone who has reviewed! It just makes my day when I see a new review posted on my story. I will try to update soon with a new chapter. Oh, and TrefleV: Just wait and see, your questions will be answered in the next chapter or so ;)


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, but I wish I did**_

* * *

Tino was busy fretting about the mission and pacing around his bedroom when Elizabeta opened his door suddenly. Tino jumped, snapping out of his thoughts and stared quizzically at her, waiting for an explanation as to why she had disturbed him.

"Oh, Tino!~" Elizabeta practically sang, "we get to go shopping!"

 _Shopping?_ Tino couldn't think of anything that the team could possibly need, seeing that they had just gone to the grocery store a few days ago.

"What are we going shopping for, Liz?" Tino asked, puzzled. Elizabeta didn't answer, she just smiled mischievously and turned, gesturing for him to follow her. Tino sighed and started after her, deciding that he could worry later. He didn't like that excited and devious look in her eyes. It made him suspicious that whatever she had planned, wouldn't go over very well with him.

Yet again, Tino found himself desperately wishing he had been wrong as they pulled into the parking lot of a store named "Fantasy Dresses."

"Elizabeta...?" he questioned slowly.

"Yes?" she replied innocently.

"Can you tell me why you are taking me to a _dress shop_?"

"It's part of the plan, remember? Kiku said that if we disguised you as a girl, everything would be easier!" She answered in a cheery tone, then asked him teasingly, "don't you remember anything about the plan?"

 _Nope. I was more concerned about having to face Berwald again_ , Tino thought, _but I probably shouldn't tell her that._ Tino chose not to reply, only shrugging his shoulders in response. Elizabeta rolled her eyes and kept explaining, "we decided that the quickest way to get to him is to make him fall in love with you." At this, Tino's heart stopped. _WHAT? Oh, man, I should have payed more attention when we were forming the plan. How am I going to get myself out of this?_

Elizabeta noticed Tino's face turn white and she laughed. "Tino, I know you can do it. You just have to pretend to be a girl for a little while, and try to lead him on a bit! It's not that big of a deal. Hell, even I've done it once or twice," the expression on her face changed to a look of skepticism and she asked bluntly, "wait, you aren't gay, are you? 'Cuz that'd make it a hell of a lot harder to do this..."

"No!" Tino answered a little too quickly. The color in his face had returned and he was now blushing furiously. The truth is, that _he didn't really know._ Being a fulltime killer doesn't really leave any room for romance, so he had never given it any thought. But nobody had to know that, right? He just decided that he'd keep it to himself until he was sure. A tense silence fell over the two of them.

"Okay… let's go inside then" Elizabeta said, breaking the silence after only a few seconds. She said it slowly and hesitantly, as if she didn't fully believe him. She gave him one last look before exiting the car and heading towards the dress shop. Tino sighed, glad that that conversation was over with. He opened his door and stepped out, preparing himself for what was to come. He had gone shopping with Elizabeta before, and he was not looking forward to her picking out his new outfit. She was bound to take _forever_. But of course, Tino had no choice but to follow her inside reluctantly.

Once inside, Elizabeta maneuvered expertly around the never-ending rows of dresses until she found a light blue one she thought was suitable for Tino. She walked up to an employee, asking for a dressing room. They were led to the back of the store where there were many changing rooms lined up.

"Here you are, ma'am. Would you like a hanger for the dress?" the polite lady asked. Elizabeta grinned and Tino knew exactly what she was going to say next.

"Oh, the dress isn't for me, it's for him," she said, nodding her head to Tino with an amused smile. A look of confusion flashed on the employee's face but it only lasted a second before she was smiling again.

"Oh, sure. Would you like a hanger for your dress?" she asked, now directing the question to Tino.

"No thank you. And getting this dress was not my idea," he quickly added. He shot a glare at Elizabeta, who was silently laughing behind the employee.

"Okay. Call me over if you need anything," The employee smiled as she walked away.

"Ugh, Elizabeta, I swear… Do I have to try this on?" Tino complained.

"Yes, Tino you do," she told him between giggles. She handed him the dress and shoved him into the changing room. A few seconds later, she stopped laughing when she heard a bang and a sharp cry from Tino.

"Tino! What was that?" Elizabeta fretted, wondering what predicament he could've possibly gotten himself into in the tiny room.

"Elizabeta! Help me! I can't-" He stuttered from the changing room.

Elizabeta opened the door and burst into yet another fit of giggles. Tino was on the ground with the dress tangled between his ankles. It looked like he was really struggling.

"Stop laughing! It's not funny!" Tino pouted while laying on the ground.

"Oh, it really is funny though," she replied, bending down to help him up. At this point, Elizabeta was close to tears, she was laughing up.

"Why are there so many straps?" Tino complained.

"That's how dresses are _made._ Haven't you worn a dress before?" she questioned, zipping up the back of the dress.

"No! Why would I have?"

"Wait, seriously?" She gave him a questioning look while still laughing, "I thought you had done this before! How long have you been in this business now? Two years? Three?"

"Three"

"Excuse me," a new voice cut in, "but if you don't mind me asking, what kind of business are you in? It seems very interesting."

Elizabeta and Tino immediately stopped laughing. Fear instantly clawed at Tino's chest. _We can't let anyone find out what we do! What should I say? We can't let any officials find us, or we'll be hunted._ Tino just stood awkwardly in his dress while Elizabeta answered smoothly, "We're in college. Calling it a business is just an inside joke." She smiled at the stranger and he laughed, his green eyes sparkling.

"Oh, college. Those were some crazy days," he reminisced. He ran a hand through his dark hair and made another comment about college before walking away. Tino breathed a sigh of relief when he was out of earshot.

"Okay, that was close. What if he was a government official? We can't let the government find out-" Tino babbled.

"Tino, stop worrying. We're fine. Nobody is going to find out about us, especially not the government. If we were going to be captured, we would've been years ago." Elizabeta soothed, "besides, the chances of him being a government official is _very_ small."

"Okay, I guess you're right, but I still want to leave. This dress works, right?" Tino spun to show off the whole thing.

"Yeah, that looks fine. Go ahead and take it off."

"Oh, thank GOD!" Tino changed as quickly as he could, and then gave the dress to Elizabeta so she could pay.

When they got home, Elizabeta went immediately to her room, muttering something about work. Alfred instantly attacked Tino, pestering and begging him to put on the dress. Eventually, Tino gave in and went to change. When he stepped into the living room, he was greeted with many cheers and whistles from Alfred. Tino rolled his eyes.

"Dude! You've got to let me be the one who does your makeup!" Alfred exclaimed.

"What? No way! I've seen your handwriting, so I'm pretty sure that I don't want you drawing on my face," Tino protested.

"What? Dude, I'm awesome at makeup! Please?" Alfred begged Tino.

"Well… If you're set on doing it, I guess it won't hurt to let you try," Tino agreed reluctantly.

"Yay! You won't regret it! C'mon, let's go!" Alfred cheered, grabbing Tino's wrist and pulling him to his room.

"Wait, right now?"

"Yes, right now!" The over-enthusiastic blond said, pushing Tino down into a chair. He went to his closet in the corner and pulled out a giant makeup case, something that Tino would've never expected him to have. He set it down and kneeled in front of Tino, brush in hand.

"Ready to be amazed?" Alfred asked, grinning.

"Not at all," Tino muttered.

"Whatever dude, you're gonna love this when it's done!" He dipped the brush in some kind of liquid and started working.

"Done!" Alfred exclaimed joyously, adding a finishing touch.

"Can I go see it now?" Tino asked hopefully.

"Yeah dude, go ahead!" The American said, smiling happily, "you can see the amazing job I did."

Tino got up, grateful to be able to stand again after almost an hour of sitting still. He made his way over to the mirror on the other side of the room and froze when he saw his face. No, that can't possible be him, could it? He stared at himself, marveling at how skilled Alfred was at doing makeup. It looked like the face staring back at him wasn't his. It looked as if his actual bone structure was different, with sharply defined cheekbones and fuller lips, painted a soft pink. His eyes were his, but the lashes framing them were darker and longer than his own. ALfred had even fluffed up his hair and bangs, making it look longer and more like it was a girl's pixie cut. Tino was amazed. How did he do it?

"I learned from one of my friends before I joined you guys," Alfred explained, walking up behind the astonished assassin. "Hey, we should show the rest of the team! I'm pretty sure everyone is home, so let's show them!" He walked out of his room, looking for their teammates. Eventually, he found everyone and gathered them into the living room. He called for Tino to come out and show everybody. Tino stepped out of the hall and was met with three shocked gasps.

"Alfred! You did this? But how-" Elizabeta started.

"Lizzy, how do you think I get my jobs done? I disguise myself and get close; I've got to know how to do makeup well, or else I'd be a dead man," Alfred explained calmly.

"Now all he needs are weapons and shoes," Matthew commented, "then he'd be ready."

Kiku and Elizabeta both stood up. "I've got shoes," Elizabeta offered, and ran into her room, while Kiku went to retrieve some weapons for Tino. They both appeared a minute later with the accessories in their arms. The shoes fit Tino really well, which surprised him since they were Elizabeta's. The weapons were harder to conceal. They eventually tucked them inside of the dress, against his skin in a place where he could reach it easily. Everyone stepped back and looked at this new Tino, now named Tiina, and awed at how much he looked like a girl.

"I think he's ready, don't you?" Elizabeta asked.

"Yeah," Alfred agreed. His phone chimed and he looked at it, smiling. "And perfect timing, too! I asked some of my buddies to keep an eye out for our target, and apparently he just entered a bar with his friends. You should go if you want to catch him."

Tino froze at the thought of actually having to go after him and having to speak to him, but he didn't really have a choice when he was shoved out the door. A small purse was handed to him along with his cell phone.

"Call us if anything gets too bad, alright?" Matthew told him, a glint of concern in his eyes.

"I will. Thanks Matthew," Tino replied, putting on a fake smile. Matthew smiled back and closed the door. And with that, Tino set off towards the well-known bar with dread filling his heart.

* * *

A/N: Hi! Here's another chapter for you guys! Next chapter is when the real action is going to start... this chapter was supposed to be sort of a filler but then it turned into my longest chapter yet! I have no idea if the chapters are going to stay at this length, or if they'll be longer, shorter... I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! Feedback does help me get better at writing and it makes me happy when I see that people actually like my writing! Honestly, when I posted it, I didn't think anyone was going to read it, and now I have almost 100 readers! Well, I hope you liked it, and I'm going to try to post another chapter by next week.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Disclamer: I REALLY wish I owned Hetalia but alas, I do not._**

* * *

Tino paused outside of the doors, building up his courage. _I can do this, nobody will recognize me_ he thought as a feebly reassurance for what he was about to do. _But… should I really use a name so close to mine? No… I'll be safe and use a different one. Um, Linna sounds nice, I guess._ Finally, after a minute or so of debating, he took a deep breath and pushed open the doors timidly. Instantly, he was greeted by loud, slurred singing from the far end of the room. He looked over curiously and saw a man singing on a stage that had a karaoke sign on it. Tino groaned inwardly. He didn't like singing, especially not in front of people. He just hoped that he wouldn't be dragged onstage by anyone, like he had been in a previous bar experiences. Tino walked up to the bar, internally cringing when his smooth legs brushed against each other Elizabeta had insisted that if he was going to be a girl, he had to shave. Oh, the sacrifices he made for this job. He leaned on the bar and waited for the bartender.

"Hi, can I get you something, ma'am?" The bartender asked. _Ma'am?_ Tino thought, momentarily confused, _I'm a… Oh, wait, not tonight._

Wanting to play it safe and not risk getting drunk, Tino just ordered a coke in a weird high, American accented voice that made him cringe. It sounded alright, but it was going to be tiring to keep doing all night long. He started to look for Berwald, but at that moment his phone buzzed. He checked it and saw a new text from Alfred.

 _Hey Tino! Good luck with your mission! Btw, I put some contacts in your bag don't forget to put them in!_

Tino read the message and groaned. He didn't like contacts, especially colored ones. They felt funny and made his eyes water. But, all the same, he made his way over to the bathroom and put the startling green contacts in. He closed the case back in his purse and made his way back over to the bar.

He sat down and scanned the crowd for his target. He found him quickly, sitting at the other end of the bar. Tino took a deep breath and walked over.

"Hi," he said shyly, sliding into the seat next to him. His heart was beating rapidly, and he struggled to keep his breathing even.

"Mm," Berwald acknowledged him.

Tino paused, waiting to see if he'd say more, but when it became clear that he wasn't going to, he cleared his throat and tried again. "I'm Linna. What's your name?" Tino mentally kicked himself. That sounded stupid. _Why? Tino, don't be awkward! You can do this._

"Berwald."

Tino paused. That wasn't the voice he had been expecting. It was still deep and accented, but it wasn't rough or scary. It was gentle, and even though it carried little emotion, it actually calmed Tino down a bit. He smiled a little. "I like that name. Where are you from?"

"Sweden."

Of course, Tino already knew all of this, but he had to ask like a normal person. "Oh, that's so cool! I'm just from America," Tino lied. The character he was playing might've been from America, but his own home was in Finland. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-three." That was something that Tino _didn't_ know. The database didn't have his age for some reason.

Tino decided to reply honestly this time. "I'm twenty-one."

A moment passed before either one of them spoke again. Surprisingly, it was Berwald that broke the silence. "Um… I think you're nice, but…" he trailed off, seemingly lost for words. _Am I getting rejected?_ Tino thought, bewildered. At this moment, someone loud come over to the bar and threw an arm around Berwald's shoulder.

"Hey Berry!" The new man slurred, obviously drunk.

"Mathias, I thought I asked you to not to call me that. My name is Berwald." Berwald grumbled.

"Aw, c'mon, loosen up! Hey, who's this?" He asked, noticing Tino.

"I'm Linna," Tino introduced himself.

"Oooh, were you hitting on Berry? Oh, you totally were weren't you?" He asked with fake shock in his voice. "Berry here isn't really into you. In fact, he's not really into girls because he's gay." Mathias said matter-of-factly, stuttering over his words a bit. _Gay? Oh crap, there goes my entire plan! What do I do?_

"Mathias, I think you should go." Berwald huffed. His cheeks were tinted pink on his otherwise unexpressive face.

"Um… maybe I should go too. It was a pleasure talking to you," Tino huffed before scurrying off. He stepped outside before pulling out his cellphone and called Elizabeta.

Elizabeta picked up on the third ring. "Tino! Are you alright? What's wrong? How's the mission?"

"Slow down Liz, I'm fine. But, the mission has been compromised." It felt good to speak in his his own voice again.

"What? How?" She asked, worried.

"I just found out that he's _gay_ ," Tino revealed.

"Really? That's why you got me all worried?" Elizabeta scolded.

"Liz, what do I do now?" Tino fretted.

"Just stick with the plan, but do it as a boy," Elizabeta answered like it was obvious.

"Well can you at least bring me a change of clothes?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in five minutes."

Ten minutes later, Tino emerged from the bathroom in the clothes that Elizabeta brought him. She was reluctant to let him remove the makeup, but he Tino insisted that Berwald couldn't have seen his face very well while he was chasing him.

"Ooooh Tino, you look great. He won't be able to resist you now!" Elizabeta cooed. Tino looked down at his new clothes. They were definitely Alfred's; there was no way that he had this in his closet. The clothes picked for him consisted of a black button down shirt, red skinny jeans and black converse. Tino rolled up his sleeves and untucked his shirt, trying to seem more casual.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Tino asked, suddenly nervous again.

"Yes, Tino," Elizabeta reassured him, "I'm gonna be near you this time, so just come to me if there are any complications."

"Wait, you're staying?" Tino asked, surprised.

Elizabeta chuckled. "Well, I'm already here, right? I might as well have a drink. Plus, it's karaoke night!"

"Liz, do NOT make me go sing tonight like you did last time."

"Aw, but you have such a nice voice!"

"No, I do not, and I am on a mission. Speaking of the mission, I'm going to go back to the bar." Tino gestured to a dark-haired man sitting alone at the other end of the bar, "You could go talk to him."

"Hm, maybe I will," Elizabeta responded, looking down to the other side of the bar with interest, "Find me if you need anything."

"I will," Tino assured her. With that, he walked to the bar towards Berwald. He sits in the empty seat next to the tall blond and orders a fresh coke from the bartender.

"Hi. Um, I'm Tino," Tino said shyly, not thinking quick enough to use a fake name.

"I'm Berwald," the Swede murmured. Tino noticed that although his answers were still blunt, he seemed just a bit more open with him now than when he was before, but he couldn't be sure if it was because he was dressed normally now, or if it was just the alcohol he was drinking.

They started talking, and after a few minutes of slow conversation, a woman came and sat next to Tino. She was very pretty, with long, blonde hair and a nice blue dress. Tino didn't pay much attention to her, continuing to talk with Berwald, until she decided to startle him by grabbing his arm.

Tino turned to her, alarmed. "Miss, can I help you?"

"Mm, I sure hope so. Maybe you can come help me back at my place, yes?" Her voice was low and sent shivers up Tino's back. He slid slightly closer to Berwald.

"Um, n..no thanks, miss. I'm quite alright," Tino declined, his voice slightly quavering.

"Are you sure? You are very cute and we could have fun, no?" She persisted.

"No, no, really, I'm fine," Tino insisted.

"Hmph. Fine." As the woman turned to go away, Tino thought he saw a flash of silver, as if she were hiding a knife in her sleeve. He took a sip of his drink and turned to Berwald.

"So what was I saying?" Tino took another sip to cover up the quake in his voice. Something about that girl really freaked him out. "Oh, that's right-" Suddenly the world tilted and Tino didn't feel very well anymore. He excused himself and started to walk towards the bathroom. He was shaking and felt ready to pass out. _What happened to me? It wasn't alcohol so it couldn't have been… wait. Did that creepy girl put something in my drink?!_ Tino thought in a panic.

As if to confirm his fears, he felt a hand grab his arm just as he was about to collapse. He fought the darkness that was trying to overtake his vision and caught a glimpse of the person who had grabbed him. He was right; it was her.

 _Elizabeta! Where are you?_ Tino tried to scream, but he could make no sound. It felt just like his dream, but this time it was _very_ real.

Tino looked around frantically, trying to escape his abductor. He caught a glimpse of Berwald just as his head turned towards him. He saw blue eyes widen in alarm as darkness overtook his vision.

Tino groaned and opened his eyes slowly. His head was throbbing and he couldn't make sense of anything. What happened? And where was he?

The night's events slowly came back to him and he realized he was laying, wet and cold, on the hard ground. His hearing was still fuzzy and his sight was a bit foggy. He blinked a few times and waited for his ears to adjust to wherever he was. As his hearing slowly went back to normal, he realized that he was not alone. He could hear the shouts of two people to his left. He turned towards them, but his view was obstructed by a car. A car? Tino realized that he must be in a parking lot. He staggered to his feet and took a few steps towards the commotion. What he saw made him freeze.

On the other side of the parking lot, Berwald was advancing on someone, using his full height to tower above them. Tino gasped when he realized that Berwald was facing the girl from earlier. She was holding a knife in front of her and neither showed any signs of backing off. The girl tensed, as if preparing to lunge at Berwald.

Naturally, Tino's shaking legs, still weak, decided to give out. He fell against a car, setting off the car alarm. The two people facing each other looked at him and started running at the same time. The woman ran out of the lot, while Berwald ran towards him. Seeing the tall man approach him made Tino's heart pound from fear and another emotion that he couldn't quite place. While Berwald looked scary, running towards him like that, Tino was bewildered that he actually defended him from that creepy woman.

Berwald reached him quickly. Tino was leaning on the car, his legs unable to support him any longer. His body hadn't recovered enough to take all the emotions that were coursing through his body. Tino was aware of someone speaking, but his head had become fuzzy again. He figured that it must've been Berwald asking if he was okay. Tino tried to nod, but couldn't seem to move very much. Apparently, Berwald thought otherwise, because he lifted Tino up into his arms and started walking out of the parking lot. To where, Tino didn't know, and frankly, he didn't care. He was exhausted and was grateful when sleep overtook him, comfortable in Berwald's arms.

* * *

A/N: Whew! I had to rewrite that so many times... What did you guys think? Was it too fast? Oh, and I changed the name to Linna because Tiina is just too close to Tino. Also, it means small blue flower and I think that's adorable. Anyways, do you guys know who the woman was? (Seriously, creepy+knives+blue dress+blonde hair? I practically said her name!) I had a bit of trouble writing her, so sorry if she seems kind of OOC. I hope you guys liked it, and thank you again to those of you who have reviewed!

P.S. I edited and posted this at 12:15 am, so there's bound to be some mistakes. If you see a mistake or inconsistency, please tell me and i'll fix it somehow. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

_**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Hetalia, PruCan would be cannon. PruCan is sadly not cannon.**_

* * *

Tino groaned softly and opened his eyes. He pushed the blanket away and looked towards his alarm clock, only to find that it wasn't there. Tino sat up and his heart skipped a beat as he realized he had no idea where he was. He glanced around, and found that he was sitting on a bed in a simple, yet pleasant bedroom. There was a dresser against one wall, and a light purple accent wall perfectly balanced the other blue walls. Tino yawned and started to get up, but fell back onto the bed when the door opened.

"Oh good you're finally awake!" The newcomer said enthusiastically. Tino recognised him faintly as Berwald's friend from the bar. "I'll go get Berry." he said and vanished again.

 _Where am I? What am I doing here? And what is that guy -Matthias, I think- doing here?_ Tino thought, thoroughly confused. His brain still was functioning slower than normal, so he just sat on the bed, searching his mind for foggy memories of the night before. Most of it was still there but some spots were blank. _Damn, what kind of drug did this woman use? It certainly had to have been powerful if I'm still feeling the effects, even if they are faint._ Tino jumped when the door was opened again but relaxed a bit when he saw Berwald step into the room.

"Oh it's you! Hi…" Tino said with a small smile. He cleared his throat and continued, "um… thank you for helping me last night."

"Mm, welcome," Berwald replied, "How are you? Do you feel okay?"

Tino was taken aback at this simple question. Even though he had just met the man, Tino felt like that wasn't a question he asked often. He didn't seem like the type to ask questions at all, really. More than that, he was surprised that someone outside of his team was actually concerned for his well-being. "Um… I think I'm okay. My head's still a bit foggy but other than that, I'm good."

" 's good." Berwald replied. A heavy silence fell upon them, until Tino decided to ask the question that had been nagging him since he woke up.

"Where are we?"

"We're at my friend's place. I'm staying here during my vacation."

"Oh. Okay. What's your friend's name?"

"Lukas."

"Well, when I see him, I'll be sure to thank him. Can I ask why we are here?" Tino inquired.

"You were attacked last night. Do you remember?" Berwald asked, worry glinting in his eyes.

"Oh! No, no I remember that," TIno said hurriedly. He didn't want Berwald to think that his memory was messed up. "I meant, why did you take me here?" Tino found it a bit strange that he didn't wake up in a hospital bed, considering that he had some mystery substance running through his veins the night before.

"You want to know why I didn't take you to a hospital?" Berwald clarified.

"Yeah."

Berwald walked over to the dresser. "I guessed that someone carrying this," he pulled out the gun that Tino carried everywhere, "Wouldn't want to be checked into a hospital."

 _What? Who does he think I am? True, I'm no ordinary citizen, but still, any ordinary person should've taken me to the hospital. Does he suspect me already?_ "What? No, I carry that around for protection purposes," Tino insisted, reciting the story that he always had ready for authorities. "A few years ago, I was attacked on the street, and having that with me makes me feel safer. I promise, I'm not some psychopath." _Ha. That's Alfred's job, not mine._ Berwald looked at him skeptically before seemingly buying his story and set the gun down again. He looked at Tino as if he were about to respond, but just then someone else entered the room, cutting him off.

"Berwald, I made breakfast if you want any," the man said. He had light hair, blue eyes and wore a cross shaped clip. Tino assumed that this man was Lukas, but decided that he should ask anyways.

"Are you Lukas?" Tino asked.

"Oh, right you're here too. Yes, I am Lukas," he informed Tino, noticing him for the first time.

"Well, thank you for letting me stay the night."

"When your friend carries an unconscious person into your house in the dead of night, you don't really have much of a choice, but you're welcome anyways." He said with a shrug. He exited the room after that, leaving Tino and Berwald alone once again. After a minute of silence, Tino decided to break the silence with another question that he'd been wondering about for a little while now.

"Berwald?"

"Mm?"

"Is Matthias Lukas's brother?" Tino had been wondering ever since he had seen the man briefly this morning. A faint smile came to Berwald's lips and a faint bit of laughter shone in his eyes.

"No, Matthias is Lukas's friend. He's a neighbor but practically lives here. Everyone knows Matthias loves Lukas, even if he won't admit it. Well, everyone except for Lukas," He said with a tiny chuckle. Tino was stunned. This was the first time Tino had heard him speak so much at once, and it was the very first time that he had heard him laugh. _Wow, what an amazing laugh. It sounded like-_

 _Hold up._ Tino thought, stopping his train of thought, _was I just thinking about his laugh? What? Is it normal to like someone's laugh this much? God, I hope it is._ Tino realized that he paused a bit too long and responded hurriedly. "Oh, that's nice. Um, well I think I probably should get going. My friend, Elizabeta is probably worried since I left her at the bar last night. Thank you again for everything you've done." Tino stood up and walked out of the room, quickly snatching his gun as he passed the dresser. He concealed it just in time, right before he ran into Matthias.

"Oh! Hi. Tino, right?"

"Yes."

"Are you leaving?" Matthias asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Oh, yeah, I have to get back home now."

"Okay. Hey, before you go, I have something for you." Matthias took a small folded sheet of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Tino with a wink. "You can thank me later." Tino thanked him, opting to wait until he was outside to open the paper.

"Hey, Matthias? Which way is the door?" Tino asked, realizing that he had no idea where to go in this house.

"It's just around the corner and through the living room. You'll find it easily." Tino thanked him and quickly made his way to the door and letting himself outside. As soon as he was outside he reached in his pocket for his phone. Just as he had expected, he had several texts and missed calls from a worried Elizabeta.

Tino? Where did you go? Are you still at the bar? Sent. 9:26pm

Tino? Sent. 9:38pm

Where are you? Why aren't you answering me? Sent. 9:46pm

TINO? Sent. 9:57pm

(Missed call. 9:59pm)

TINO ARE YOU OKAY? Sent. 10:03pm

(Missed call. 10:06pm)

(Missed call. 10:10pm)

Tino, pls answer your phone Sent. 10:12pm

Please tell me you're okay. I can't find you anywhere. Sent. 10:27pm

He had many more after that, some from Matthew, but mostly from Elizabeta. He sighed and decided to call Elizabeta after he read whatever Matthias had given him. He unfolded the note and froze. The few words written on the page made his heart skip a beat and caused his cheeks to turn pink.

Berwald's #

+46 771 793 336

Tino realized he was grinning and quickly became more confused. _Why did that note make me smile? He's only my target… I'm just happy that I'm getting closer to completing my mission. Yeah, that's it._ Tino quickly put the number in his phone and looked up at the street sign on the corner. Once he knew where he was, he dialed Elizabeta.

"Tino?! Oh my god, are you okay? Where were you? What happened?" She shouted right as she picked up.

"Liz, relax, please. I'm fine. I just had a little mishap at the bar last night and luckily, Berwald helped me. I think he's beginning to trust me." Tino explained. It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't exactly lying either.

"The target? And what do you mean by a 'little mishap'?"

"Liz, it was no big deal. Relax. I'm coming home right now. I'll see you in a few minutes."

"What? Tino, where are you? And do not hang up on me," Elizabeta threatened.

"I'm close by, Liz. Stop worrying about me and I'll explain everything when I get home. I'll see you soon, bye~" Tino called, hanging up before she had the chance to go into another round of questions. He loved Elizabeta, but she could get really worked up sometimes. He turned the corner and knew that his base was only a few blocks down the street. Wow, he had been this close to Berwald the whole time? _Maybe I'll see him around sometimes. That would be nice. For the mission. Yup, for the mission. As if I'd want to see him outside of my job._ Tino stopped himself there, trying to think about anything else other than the person who had saved him last night. Why did he keep popping into Tino's head? _Oh, whatever, the sooner I complete my mission, the better._

Tino arrived at the base within a few minutes, and paused to prepare himself for a frantic Elizabeta. He slowly opened the door and was immediately attacked by Elizabeta, just as he had expected. Matthew stood a bit off to the side, relief written plainly on his face. He had been just as worried as his teammate, only he dealt with it in a much quieter fashion.

"Oh my GOD I was so worried about you where did you go? Are you okay? What happened?" Elizabeta asked moments after he entered the room.

"Liz, Liz calm down, please, I'm fine," Tino assured, avoiding the other parts of the question.

"No you are NOT, I can tell something happened. Tell me, Tino, please. What happened to you?" Damn women and their crazy empathic abilities! Tino didn't want to make her feel any worse by telling her what actually happened. He crossed his arms and responded, "What makes you think something even happened? Maybe I crashed at a friend's house and forgot to check my phone?" Even as the words left his mouth, they sounded ridiculous. He knew that Elizabeta would never buy something like that.

"Really?" Elizabeta chuckled a tiny bit. "First off, you don't have any friends besides us. None of us do."

"I do!" Alfred chimed in, poking his head into the room for a split second. Elizabeta rolled her eyes as he disappeared once again.

"If that boy thinks Arthur is _just a friend_ , he's dumber than I thought he was. Anyways, wait, what was I talking about again? Oh, right. Tino, just tell me what happened."

"Tino, you can trust us," Matthew added, speaking for the first time.

Seeing no way out of this, Tino decided to give them at least part of the truth. Just enough to satisfy them and not enough to make them freak out again. He let out a deep breath and started, "Okay, fine. I was talking with Berwald when this weird lady started to hit on me. I brushed her off and she eventually went away, but the next time I took a sip of my drink, I passed out. Well, it turned out that she put something in my drink but I'm fine. Berwald helped me and let me sleep it off at his friend's house." There was silence as his teammates absorbed this information. After a few moments, Elizabeta quietly spoke.

"Oh Tino, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I should have kept a closer eye on you. I shouldn't have been distracted by Roderich…" she trailed off, looking miserable.

"Hey, Liz, I'm fine. I'm glad you had a good time," Tino comforted. His phone buzzed in his pocket, alerting him that he had low battery. Thankful for an excuse to leave, he excused himself and retreated to his room. He plugged in his phone and grabbed his computer. He needed to do something, anything to distract him from Berwald and the mission. He turned it on and, seeing that he had mail, opened up his email. It was from his boss, and the subject was labeled URGENT. His heart fluttered nervously in his chest, thinking it would be some terrible news or that his boss was angry with him for some reason. He opened the email. He gasped and his eyes widened.

 _Well, shit. This is not good._

* * *

A/N: Ah I'm so sorry for the long wait! I got caught up in so much stuff (like testing ugh) and I just didn't have time to finish this chapter. I'll try to get the next one posted quicker. Anyways, Berwald's number in the story is an actual number in real life. If you call it, it connects you to a random Swedish person in Sweden. I just thought that was fun, and it also explains why the formatting of his number was weird. As always, please contact me if you find any mistakes and I will fix it. Also, if you would like to, comment what you think the email was... Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day (or night?)! 3


	6. Chapter 6

_**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Hetalia. Very sad, I know.**_

* * *

Tino only had to read one line of the letter before he panicked. He jumped up, not even bothering to read any more of the email, and rain around the house in search of his team. One by one, he rounded them up and pushed them into his room, sitting them all on the bed. They looked at each other, confused. Tino's obviously distressed expression made them all feel on edge, worried about what he was going to tell them. Finally, Tino sat cross-legged on his bed and faced them all, computer on his lap. He took a deep breath.

"This morning, I received an email labeled 'URGENT'. I opened it up, and this is what it said," Tino whispered, turning around the laptop so his teammates could see the screen.

Elizabeta covered her mouth. "Oh god," she whispered quietly. Alfred looked away, towards the wall, not wanting to read any more.

The first and only line in the email, displayed prominently on the page read: **Roma is dead**

Their boss, Roma, was dead. Tino couldn't believe it. How? Why? What will happen now?

"Hold on, Tino-san," Kiku interrupted, "could you please scroll down? I think there might be more written."

Tino did as he was told and scrolled down. To his surprise, there was more writing, cut off by the bottom of the screen. Elizabeta read it and let out a small giggle. Tino craned his neck over the screen, trying to read the text. Why was she laughing when their boss had just died? His confusion only deepened when Alfred shouted "GOD DAMMIT FELI!"

Wasn't Feliciano, or Feli for short, Roma's grandson? What did he have to do with the email? Tino spun the laptop back towards him and read the rest of the email for himself.

 _Hi! Now that I have gotten your attention, I have a super duper special announcement! I am throwing a birthday party and you are invited! There will be lots of pasta and your team can come too! Grandpa Roma wants you to come as well! Oh right, Grandpa Roma isn't really dead, I just wanted to get your attention. If he was dead, I would be really, really sad. Who would make pasta with me or sing with me if he died? I don't know what I would do. Oh, right, the party is at 5:00 on Saturday at my house! See you then! Ciao! ~Feli_

Tino sat there, stunned. So their leader wasn't dead? Why did Feli think that it was okay to get their attention like that? Damn that overexcited Italian. He really doesn't know what he can say and what he can't, does he?

"Well, I guess we should go. I mean, it says that Roma wants us to go," Matthew pointed out.

"Yes, I think it could be quite fun," Kiku agreed.

"Aww, Feli is so cute, how could I say no to an invitation from him?" Elizabeta practically fawned.

"Maybe because he just gane us all heart attacks?" Alfred suggested.

"Oh, stop. He just is a little dramatic sometimes. I think he's adorable. So it's settled? We're going, right?" Elizabeta asked.

"Whatever," Alfred muttered under his breath.

"I'm fine with it," Tino told her. _Anything to get my mind off of the mission._

"Then it's settled! We'll go!" Elizabeta grinned, "Tomorrow, we party!"

* * *

Tino reluctantly got ready for the party, exhausted and not wanting to go. He had too much on his mind, and couldn't deal with a hyper Italian right now. Nevertheless, according to Feliciano, his boss wanted him to go, so he (and his team) must.

Elizabeta knocked and opened his door, popping her head through. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, give me one second. I'll be out in a minute," Tino replied, fixing his hair one more time, making sure he was presentable. A thought came to mind and his heart skipped a beat. He looked to Elizabeta, "Wait, I forgot to get him a present! What does he like? Could we get something on the way there?"

Elizabeta smiled, "Relax. I have you covered." She handed him a plastic card. "This is a gift card to that new pasta place in town. I figured you or someone else might forget, so I got an extra," she told him, showing him an identical card.

Tino breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Liz. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I don't know what you, or the team for that matter, would do without me either. Then again, I don't know what any of us would do without you," Elizabeth laughed. Tina chuckled along with her. Feeling slightly better, Tino followed Elizabeth out of the house and into one of their cars, ready to head to the party.

* * *

A/N Wow it has been a LONG time since i've posted anything. I am so so sorry about that. I;m working on the next chapter currently and will post it as soon as I can. Sorry that this chapter is so short and I hope it doesn't sound too weird; I'm still getting back into the groove of writing. I hope you enjoy it, nevertheless. Again, I'm so sorry that I've taken so long to update. Reviews and feedback are still VERY appreciated! If you're still interested in the story, let me know so I know if there's still enough interest in Comfort Zone or not.


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